As midterm elections approach, some Republican strategists warn that party infighting over abortion laws could jeopardize victory in 2024.
Republicans easily win the debate when framed as “reasonable restrictions” on abortion versus “abortion on demand.” But support begins to drop off when bans grow stricter. Thirty percent of otherwise “pro-life” voters, for example, side with Democrats once exemptions for rape and incest are removed. Three-quarters of the public, meanwhile, support a 15-week ban. Rather than backing a national law, strategists favor appealing to voters on the fence with more cautious, state-level approaches that maintain exemptions.
Fears that a national abortion ban would spell political disaster are probably overblown. Even voters who believe such proposals go too far are unlikely to be persuaded to vote Democratic for abortion alone. A Republican State Leadership Committee poll found that just 8% of battleground voters categorize abortion as their most pressing concern, rather than the 56% who identified economic issues.
A FiveThirtyEight/Ipsos poll on Tuesday found that just 1 in 5 people rate abortion as a top concern (many of those are pro-lifers, by the way), whereas 3 in 5 cite rising prices. The Democrats have issues to answer for beyond abortion, such as the economy and rising crime.
It may well be best, for now, to focus on modest goals in abortion legislation, not out of a concern for the political cost but because bills with broad support are currently the best way to maximize the protection of unborn life. Where a total ban does not have the votes to pass, a 15-week ban might. So, lawmakers should probably do what they can to protect as many unborn lives as possible. But they should not be hesitant to affirm that the goal is total abolition.
To live by fear of political repercussions would be inconsistent with the scientific reality that life begins at conception. It’s an inconsistency that betrays a lack of conviction. If you are not willing to support anything more than a 15-week ban, do you really believe the unborn are humans deserving of equal protection? What exactly are “reasonable restrictions” on murder?
Allowing the Left to define the terms of debate is why the majority of the country does not see abortion as the most pressing issue. We’ve been conditioned to view matters such as a woman’s economic security as concerns on par with protecting innocent life. Republicans too easily get distracted from the core question: Does abortion take a human life? If so, act like it. Legislate with urgency, clarity, and courage.
Abortion activists don’t confine themselves to the bounds of public opinion, even when their efforts are doomed to failure. They fearlessly flipped their message from a much more popular “safe, legal, and rare” to “abortion on demand without apology.”
Democrats, likely now to their disadvantage, continue centering their campaigns on abortion. They celebrate abortions and invite others to cheer along with them. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) called for pregnancy crisis centers to be shut down on Tuesday, claiming that they “torture” women by not providing abortion. President Joe Biden has already issued an executive order. In the face of this, a “reasonable restrictions” approach is simply weak, not wise.
The nation needs to hear people argue for abolition. Too many are currently asleep to the disgusting, life-ending, and violent reality of abortion. They walk past Planned Parenthood clinics desensitized to the brutal slaughter taking place inside. Ending abortion may not be a top priority for most, but it ought to be. And preserving abortion is not a priority for nearly as many as you might think.
Nor are opinions permanently fixed on one side or the other. One in 4 say they have changed their mind on abortion at some point in their life. People shown images or depictions of abortion procedures often reconsider their support. It is important to expose people to the reality. That can’t happen if political calculations become a higher priority than protecting human life.
